daily life
Happy New Year to all! The year is coming to a close and once again I'm going to run through the goals I established for this year and see if I accomplished them. I did my best to set more concrete goals in 2019, but I think my ideas of what I wanted for the future have changed a LOT since I wrote my last new year's post.
It seems that every year I get a new look on my blog, which you may have noticed recently! I tried to pick a more professional and chic looking blog theme, and I'm really happy with this one. It still needs some tweaking in the code, but overall I'm satisfied with how my blog looks these days.
Maintain my weight loss
Happy New Year: Goals for 2020 and Reflecting on 2019
Happy New Year to all! The year is coming to a close and once again I'm going to run through the goals I established for this year and see if I accomplished them. I did my best to set more concrete goals in 2019, but I think my ideas of what I wanted for the future have changed a LOT since I wrote my last new year's post.
It seems that every year I get a new look on my blog, which you may have noticed recently! I tried to pick a more professional and chic looking blog theme, and I'm really happy with this one. It still needs some tweaking in the code, but overall I'm satisfied with how my blog looks these days.
Now, onto my 2019 resolutions!
2019 Goals (What I did and didn't accomplish)
⚠️ A work in progress
⭕ Success!
❌ Fail
⭕ JCAT Score of 200
I am so proud to say that I accomplished this goal! I took the JCAT at the end of July to test my progress after a few months of intensive study. Here are my results:
July 2018
July 2019
As you can see, my grammar score jumped up super high and my reading improved a bit as well. I worked really hard to get my scores up and I thank Memrise for that. Since I got a 209, it inspired me to make the jump to N2 and sign up for the JLPT this year. I'll get my results in February 2020 so I'll be sure to keep you updated on that.
⭕ Reach my first goal weight of 110
I'm glad I set my first goal weight number as 110 because I am currently 107 lbs and I feel that this is the best place to stop losing weight. I lost 21 lbs this year! I got results by joining a weight loss server back in March to keep me accountable, and it really worked for me.
Now that the year is ending, I'm debating leaving this server and working on maintaining what I've lost. I've struggled a lot with body positivity, and I still do after my weight loss. I know this sounds unbelievable, but even though I lost weight it didn't give me the happiness I was expecting. I want to focus on self-love and positivity in 2020 :)
Pictured on the left is last summer, and the right was about 1 week ago.
⚠️ Read an article a week
At the beginning of the year, I was super committed to this goal and up until March I actually was reading an article a week on average, however, I switched my learning method to Memrise at the beginning of the summer and I kept that up until the JLPT at the beginning of this month. Article reading kind of fell to the back burner, but I started getting through some of the manga volumes I picked up in Japan! So I guess I switched from articles to books!
⭕ Save 10k by May
I accomplished this! I saved up 10,000 dollars by May, however, I was making loan payments at the same time so I haven't actually had 10,000 in the bank at one time.
⚠️ Minimalize my Life
I strove to minimalize my life this year, which I think I did after leaving college and coming to live back home. I tend to do a cleanout of my room and wardrobe once every few months, so it was easy to stay on top of the clutter. However, I'm not sure how minimal I want to go and so I can't say I've totally achieved this goal as it's still very much a work in progress.
❌ Get a job in China
This is the only thing I failed this year, and it was a conscious choice not to do it. I decided not to go to China and instead work on getting a full-time job in New York. I was really convinced I was going to work in China back in February, but financially I didn't feel like it was a smart move.
Now here are my resolutions for 2020!
Pass N2
I took N2 earlier this month and I thought that I would be able to tell right then and there whether I passed or failed based on how the test felt, but to be honest I have no idea if I passed. When I get the results in February I really feel they could go either way. If I end up failing my goal is to take it again and pass!
Pay off all my loans
I am SO CLOSE to achieving this goal. I've gotten over 20k of loans down to a little over 5,000 in under a year, so 2020 is going to be the year where I finally pay all my loans off!
Become conversational in French
Why do I feel like I choose a new language to learn every year? Maybe it's because I do! I'm going to be going to Paris in February to meet a bunch of my friends (and Amanda!) so I hope to speak some basic French at that point. I've been doing Duolingo for the past 2 weeks and working quite hard at it, so I want to keep this pace up and become really good!
I lost the weight, time to keep it off. I'm not sure how sustainable 107 is since this was my weight back in senior year of high school, but I want to work out more and maintain the weight that I lost. I want to focus on making my waist a bit tighter and more curved, which I've heard can be done with weight/strength training.
Get a full-time job I love
I'm not currently working full time, just part-time doing temp work here and there. Getting a full-time job that I enjoy doing is my major focus for 2020, so I truly hope that this time next year I'm in an environment I really enjoy working in.
Happy New Year to all~ See you in 2020!
blog collab
Collab Corner: Stationery and Holiday Cards from BasicInvite!
Hi everyone! Today I'm back with a different kind of post, something that I have never had on this blog before. Today's post was sponsored by Basic Invite, which is a website that lets users create their own custom stationery, business cards, holiday cards, invitations, etc! As this is my first sponsored post on this blog, I will state upfront that all the opinions I share are totally my own, and reflect my experience with the company.
With the holidays rapidly approaching, BasicInvite approached me to collab on some custom stationery and holiday cards for myself! It feels super 'influencer' of me to say this, but they also provided me a discount code you could use if any of the cards I show you catch your eye.
How it Works
The website is pretty easy to use. You choose what type of card you would like to make and select from their design choices. Once you select a design, you can change the color, the font, and the overall look to however you'd like! They have different paper foils too, in gold, silver and rose gold. Basic Invite has over 180 options to customize your card with and over 40 different colors for envelopes.
I chose some designs that looked kind of fall festive, as well as some holiday cards since Christmas is coming up. Part of being an adult is ordering thank you cards for gifts, so I ordered two different styles of 'Thank You's to try out. They list some cute Christmas party invitation ideas on their website, so feel free to click the link and check them out!
This may be helpful for those who are indecisive like me: Basic Invite let's you order a printed sample of your invitation before they place their final order. If you're picky about what kind of paper, finish or style you'd like, this is a perfect option for you.
You can also share the cards you make on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms if you prefer to go paperless!
What I Got
I ordered my stationery on December 3rd and received my package on December 7th, so the shipping was really fast. I was told that shipping usually takes around 7 to 11 days, so it was extra surprising to get my order so quickly.
Everything I ordered came together, and as far as I could tell it was exactly as I had designed it online. I was really happy with how everything came out, but I will say that some pieces were smaller than I expected. To be fair, I didn't check the paper aspect ration when I placed my order, so that's totally on me, I just got whatever paper looked the cutest when browsing all of the designs. This is exactly why their free sample function is so useful.
Even so, I tried to go for a mix of my own personal stationery as well as some holiday-themed items thrown in. My main color scheme was a mix of orange, yellow, and light pink.
Let me know if you see anything you like in the comments!
These two pieces were on the smaller side, but they could be cute for little notes at your desk! I really liked the landscape view for the second piece, I just have no idea what I might use this kind of paper for. The paper quality itself was really sturdy and thick, if you wrote on this using Sharpie I don't think it would bleed through.
Out of everything I ordered, I really loved the cards the best. I'm obsessed with the dark green one, which is surprising because I'm usually not a huge green person. If and when I send out holiday cards, I'm going to stick with this design!
If you're looking for something that looks a bit vintage, or if you're into retro Christmas cards, I think Basic Invite is going to be the place for you. Like I said before, I recieved a coupon code that you can apply to your entire order! Use coupon code: 15FF51 to get 15% off on basicinvite.com!
Thank you for reading, and as always: See you next time!
Basic Invite Social Media:
fashion
makeup
reviews and guides
One Surprising Accessory I Always Wear
In my quest to find a staple accessory that I can wear it no matter the season, I've come across an unlikely find that I've been wearing all along and hadn't thought much about.
If you've run into me anytime in the past 4 years or so you've probably noticed something on my face, specifically next to my right eye. No, I didn't get a face tattoo, what you're seeing is actually eyeliner. I impulsively started stamping a small black star on the right side of my face while I was in high school, and I've been keeping it up almost every day since, with some variations here and there.
I know what you're thinking: most people considering accessories to be bags or jewelry, however, I'm of the opinion that makeup is an accessory. You can accessorize with different looks, change it to suit your outfit or hairstyle, and ultimately develop a 'signature look' as I tried to.
I feel like I've been wearing the star for as long as I could remember. When I looked into my past photos, I found some pictures from the high school from before I had discovered the star and felt sort of lost regarding my image. I threw myself into branding myself with this or that style, gathering inspiration from famous birthmark beauty Marilyn Monroe.
Looking at my face in the mirror, I couldn't find any distinguishing facial birthmarks to make me stand out, so I wanted to create something that people could look at an automatically know 'That's Alice'. As all high schoolers do, I craved that sense of stylish individualism.
One day when I was in Hot Topic, I came across a $1 discount box near the checkout line. Inside were different makeup tools, and I noticed there was a double-sided eyeliner stick, one side having a felt brush tip and the other side having a star stamp tip. Impulsively, I added it to my purchase and the rest became history. The star mark has evolved into something I've considered part of my identity and it's gotten to a point where I now feel kind of naked when I don't have the star on.
In the corporate world, it is hard to wear a full-blown eyeliner star on the side of your face, so I sometimes use the felt tip side to make a small but still noticeable dot.
With the rise of Tik Tok and e-girl culture, drawing these kinds of shapes on the side of your face has become very trendy, so finding your own eyeliner stamper is fairly easy. If you're interested in purchasing an eyeliner stamp, there are a lot of mainstream makeup brands that carry it.
I continue to use the brand Lovesicks' version of the pen. It is currently sold out on the Hot Topic website but I'm sure they will restock soon. I will say that I've been using the same eyeliner pen for the past 4 years and I have not had to change it, so if you do decide to purchase this as an eyeliner stamp only pen, you'll be getting a lot of use out of it!
Milk Makeup offers many different types of tips such as a star, dollar sign, peace sign, hearts, and more! If you're willing to pay a bit more for a different shape it could be a good investment!
I hope this was helpful in some way, Alice signing off for now :)
Please note this is not sponsored, all views spoken are my own and I do not make a commission off of anything in this post!
fashion
Micro Bag Madness: The Tiny Bag Trend That Keeps Getting Smaller
Tiny bags have been one of the hottest trends to emerge in 2019, with Lizzo's recent American Music Awards look becoming what I'm calling the mini peak of tiny bag trend culture. How did these bags, despite their inability to hold anything, become the 'it-girl' accessory of 2019?
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| Lizzo's super tiny purse was made by Valentino Garavani and has been coined by some as 'the world's smallest Valentino bag'. |
Let's go back in time, back to February 2017. The micro purse as we know it today entered the scene when French fashion designer and founder of his brand, Simon Porte Jacquemus, debuted his tiny 3-inch purse at his Fall 2017 Ready to Wear collection runway. At the time there wasn't much focus on the bag itself, as only two models were carrying them, however, it quickly took the fashion world by storm.
Aptly named 'Le Chiquito', this mini beauty stands almost 3 inches tall, with a handle that's taller than the bag itself, depending on whether you get the suede crossbody or the leather purse style. This could be yours for the low price of $516 (or, wait for a sale and get it for around $200!).
This propelled the bag into the public eye, and we began to see it pop up all over the Instagram discover page. Let's admit it: many small bag memes were made, which is perhaps what partially inspired Jacquemus to go even smaller.
At his Fall/Winter 2019 show, the smaller sibling 'Mini Le Chiquito' debuted on the runway. It came in a wide array of colors, and with a height of about 2 inches, a small 'J' on the side.
At his Fall/Winter 2019 show, the smaller sibling 'Mini Le Chiquito' debuted on the runway. It came in a wide array of colors, and with a height of about 2 inches, a small 'J' on the side.
The bag retails at a sky-high price tag of $285, which contributed significantly to its popularity. These bags were hard to find and limited in number, meaning many people were frantically Googling (as I was, admittedly) trying to find out how to get their hands on it.
I wonder what you could fit in a Mini Le Chiquito?
Maybe a ring, or two breath mints?
Though the ever-shrinking size made it functionally useless, the public latched onto this mini bag trend hard, it became the fashion trend to buy in 2019. It was less about actually using a bag to hold things, and more about the pop of color and attitude it gave your outfit.
The message behind it was clear: I can't hold anything in my purse, and I don't need to! It's an impractical yet minimal, design with a modern and stylish shape. The wide handle and ability to wear it as a crossbody became key, making it a level up from the fanny pack crossbody trend that was all over street fashion Instagram just a few months ago.
Jacquemus's bags have been worn by numerous chic celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra, Rihanna, and most of the Kardashians, to name a few.
I predict that 2020 will see the climax of this tiny bag trend and maybe the public will be into large, oversized items as a breakaway from this. We've evolved from the fanny pack trend to now the mini bag, so I'm curious to see what 2020 runways deliver when it comes to bags.
As always, thanks for reading! :)
daily life
solo concert: sasha sloan
I had the pleasure of attending a Sasha Sloan concert yesterday and I want to share a few of the shots that I took on my phone.
This was my first solo concert, solo meaning that this was the first time I went to a concert completely alone. I was nervous going into the experience, but I found myself really happy that I came by myself. I got an amazing spot at the very front and I was able to vibe with the music in a more private way.
If you're thinking of seeing Sasha Sloan in concert, I'd say go for it. The tickets are only $20 and the concert was a super chill and intimate experience.
The opening band, Winnetka Bowling League, was amazing! I found myself looking up their songs on Spotify the second they walked off stage. My favorite song they sang is actually an unreleased track called 'Congratulations' and I am desperate to find audio of it somewhere!
Hope you enjoyed this short photo post and have a great night. :)
daily life
If you would have asked me the number one thing I didn't want to do as a career when I was around 10 or 11 years old, I would have said 'Work in an office' without missing a beat. As of today, I am officially 1 week into the corporate world doing exactly what my 10-year-old self would have balked in horror at.
This post comes off a bit more like a rant than an actual blog post but nonetheless thank you for reading and I'll see you next time. :)
a girl gone corporate
If you would have asked me the number one thing I didn't want to do as a career when I was around 10 or 11 years old, I would have said 'Work in an office' without missing a beat. As of today, I am officially 1 week into the corporate world doing exactly what my 10-year-old self would have balked in horror at.
Out of everything that I've experienced this year regarding growing up and getting wiser, this is probably the thing that I would have least expected.
Back in January of this year my goals and ideas for how this year was going to pan out were drastically different than what I'm experiencing right now. I think a part of why this year turned out the way it did was due to the fact that I was stubbornly following a path that I thought I wanted, but deep down wasn't quite sure about.
I really thought I wanted to be a teacher and work at a Japanese school teaching English. I considered moving to China and teaching English there for a year while living with my best friend. In my planner, I had written down 'Goals: Move to China' for the year of 2019.
I thought teaching was something that I was destined to do. Since I was a little girl, I've loved playing teacher and giving my poor sister 'homework' printouts I had found online. I have a strong memory about one particular summer day in which I sat at the edge of my desk and bulletin board and passionately taught Gabby about the food pyramid.
However, as I looked into the logistics of a career I've been set on for years, I realized that it wasn't something I wanted to do for the long term. And so there I sat as a new graduate with a degree in Japanese, a passion project, and Education, my supposed dream, lost on what to do and wondering how I got here.
In July I started to take personality test after personality test, telling me I should be a nurse or a social worker or any other kind of communication-based job that would generally fit a 10 question survey. I had my degree but I had no sense of where I was going, and that's when I started to look inward and ask myself what it was I really wanted to do or was good at.
I'm definitely not going to say that I found the answer, considering only one week into my 1st corporate job. I'm also not going to say that teaching is not for me, because I really loved it and if I could have continued where I was working, I would have. However, I came to the realization that many adults of my age group come to when entering the workforce: I've got loans to pay and I've got things to accomplish.
About 2 months ago, I started applying for almost every LinkedIn job on the planet that I qualified for. I was applying for jobs in marketing, finance, accounting, office work, sales, customer service and anything else that would accept or even glance at a fresh out of college resume.
I joined 7 different recruitment agencies and went on multiple interviews until I finally found someone willing to hire me.
I will say that the job searching experience was more difficult than I expected. I had really thought that my 3 or 4 years of work experience in my undergrad, where I spent 25 hours a week toiling away for work experience, to actually mean something. In the grand scheme of things, it was almost as if my resume was blank, which really knocked me on my feet.
The burdensome jobs that I had been working so hard on for the past 3 years or so didn't mean anything in the end. What actually got me a position was being an organization leader for 2 years back when I was a sophomore, something that I had originally left off my resume, which inspired my current company to give me the job.
I'm currently working as an executive assistant. Every day I walk into an office in New York City and I spend the entire day in that office. I have always been opposed to people in offices because I felt like they weren't actually accomplishing anything, but I realize now that that was me being naive. I believed that being on the front lines of the action was the only way you could actually contribute.
Despite sitting in an office all day, my job gets a lot done. I'm still in the learning phase where it seems very overwhelming, but I can't say it's not fun and every day is different! There's a lot to get used to coming from being a teacher to working in the business setting. I really hope that this is the perfect fit I was looking for and that this can turn into something that I can be doing 5 or 10 years from now.
I find myself acting more and more like an adult, which kind of scares me because I feel like I'm losing touch with the person that I used to be. These formative years of identity that I'm going through right now are going to be filled with moments like these, so I think the only thing I can do is prepare myself for more introspection and just keep pursuing things the way I'm doing right now.
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